


Paw Prints

by Jacie



Series: NCIS: The Cabin Series [2]
Category: NCIS
Genre: Cabins, Case Fic, Cats, Christmas, Coffee, Cold, Cold Weather, Comfort, Fire, Kittens, M/M, Murder, Piano, Sad, Secret Santa, Sick Tony, Snow, Tea, Winter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-25
Updated: 2016-12-25
Packaged: 2018-09-11 22:43:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,183
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9037952
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jacie/pseuds/Jacie
Summary: While investigating a crime scene, Tony crosses paths with a group of kittens. One of them leaves its tiny paw prints on his heart.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [cutsycat](https://archiveofourown.org/users/cutsycat/gifts).



> A heartfelt thank you and shout out to my wonderful beta, Rose_Malmaison!
> 
> Disclaimer:  
> Don’t know them. It’s not true. I made it all up.

Snow drifted downward, accumulating on the ground. Inside the NCIS building, it was warm and toasty. While running one hand through his hair, Tony shoved his gloves into his coat pockets as he walked across the bullpen. A shiver rippled through his body as he took his seat behind his desk.

“Looks like we’re going to have a white Christmas,” he observed.

“I love white Christmases,” Ellie said gleefully.

Settled back in his chair, Tim sipped coffee from his colorful coffee mug. “Cold, snowy winter days are perfectly fine so long as we can enjoy them from inside a nice, warm office.”

“Traffic stinks,” said Tony. “It took me twice as long to get here as normal. I passed two accidents.”

As the team settled in to work, Gibbs walked swiftly around the corner. “Dead Marine. Grab your gear.”

Tony rolled his eyes. “I’m just starting to get the feeling back in my toes.”

Gibbs paused next to Tony’s desk and head slapped him. “You feel that?”

“Yes, Boss.”

“Then you’re fine to work. Let’s roll.”

*** *** *** 

Gibbs drove a sedan, with Tim riding along, while Tony and Bishop followed in the MCRT truck. It gave Tony time to bond with Bishop, and also got him some time away from Gibbs.

Not that he needed time away from Gibbs. They had officially been dating for two years. Tony still felt they both needed some time away from each other; time to interact with other people separately. He was well aware of Gibbs’ failed marriages, and didn’t want their relationship to be seen as a potential mistake.

“How are you doing?” he asked.

Huddled down in her seat, Bishop had her arms wrapped tightly around her small frame. “A little chilly.”

Tony quickly adjusted the temperature knob. “Better?”

“I’m fine.”

“How’s the new place?”

“Different. Being on my own is different. I’ve shared my life and my home with Jake for years. But I’m going to be fine.”

“You’re a beautiful, strong, independent woman. You’ll find the right guy one day.”

“Thanks, Tony. How are you guys doing?”

“Okay,” Tony said. “We’re taking it slow. But it feels right.”

“You and Gibbs have known each other for over a decade, Tony. How much slower can you take it?”

“True, we’ve known each other for years, but dating is new to us.”

“Two years is not that new for a relationship. The honeymoon is over.”

“At least the snow is letting up. There is nothing quite as invigorating as working a crime scene outside in the snow when you’re chilled to the bone.”

“The sun’s coming out.”

“That means it would be better if it stays cold. The sun might melt our clues,” Tony pointed out.

“A cup of hot chocolate with whipped topping sounds really good right about now.”

“We can stop somewhere on the way back,” he promised.

*** *** *** 

Pulling up behind the sedan, Tony parked the truck and looked for Gibbs. There were several patrol cars on the scene. Tim was waiting for them. Tony opened the back of the van so they could grab their gear before ducking under the bright yellow police tape.

With his fingerprint scanner in hand, Tim approached the body. Kneeling down, he glanced up at Ducky.

The ME was already examining the body. The light dusting of freshly fallen snow brought a frown to his face. “You can remove the glove as soon as Anthony has finished taking pictures.”

Tim nodded, blowing across his fingers to warm them while Tony focused the camera and snapped a few more shots.

Pulling off another man’s glove wasn’t as easy as one would think. The stiffening fingers of a corpse made the task that much more difficult.

“Ducky, can we get the glove off without breaking his fingers?”

Kneeling beside Tim, Ducky took the deceased man’s hand into his own. “Possibly, but if we need to break a finger to get his print, then so be it. I hardly think he’ll complain.”

“I don’t envy you. I can’t imagine having to take dead people’s clothing off.”

“It’s only a glove,” Ducky reminded him.

“Until you get him back to autopsy.”

“Yes, well, it does make performing an autopsy so much easier if the dearly departed is unclothed at the time. There you go, Timothy.”

Placing the frigid fingertip against his scanner, Tim prayed it wasn’t too cold for the device to work. It took a few seconds longer than normal, but quickly shared the results.

Gibbs and Bishop had talked to the first officers on the scene, then walked back toward the body and their team.

“Do we have an ID?” Gibbs asked.

Tim read the screen on the scanner. “Boss, this is Lance Corporal Shaun Endicott.”

Gibbs scribbled the name into a notepad. “Once you’re done there, I want you and DiNozzo to search the alleyway. See if you can find a casing. I want to know where the shooter was.”

Ducking under the police tape, Gibbs waved for Ellie to follow him.

Tony opened his sketchbook and began taking measurements, the camera still hanging from his neck. “There go my plans.”

“What plans?” asked Tim.

“Ellie and I talked about stopping somewhere for hot chocolate on the way back.”

Tim watched as Gibbs and Ellie began interviewing the bystanders, searching for witnesses. “They haven’t left.”

“Come on, Tim. You know it’s going to take all day to search this alleyway. He wants us to find a casing? If it’s here, it’s buried under an inch or two of snow. And there’s no guarantee the perp didn’t police his brass.”

Tim glanced up and down the alleyway. There certainly was a lot of snow. Most of it was a brilliant white, glistening in the sunlight. Around the Lance Corporal’s body, the snow was splattered with drying blood. “There are footprints.”

“Let me know when you’ve figured out which ones are from our killer. Maybe we can follow them right back to his apartment.”

Tim and Tony stood together, cheeks turning rosy while their breath became gray puffs when they exhaled.

“We’ll be out of your hair momentarily,” Ducky said as he and Jimmy moved the body onto a gurney. “Time to get this lad back to autopsy, and a nice warm table.”

Tony shivered as he turned to Tim. “I almost wish I was going with them. You go north and I’ll go south. Call me if you find anything.”

In an attempt to warm up, Tim stamped his feet and jumped a couple times. “I’m not sure my cell phone works when it’s this cold out.”

“It’s not going to be easy. It’s snowed since the Lance Corporal was shot. Hey Ducky, how close do you think the shooter was?”

“That is a difficult question to answer out here in the field, Anthony. It looks as though a handgun was used. It wasn’t too close. There is no stippling around the wound. The shooter must have been at least a few feet and possibly a few yards away.”

“Best guess?”

“Twenty to forty feet perhaps.”

Nodding his head, Tony glanced down the alleyway. “Any thoughts on a direction?”

Gesturing toward a vague point in the distance, Ducky said, “Unless the body was moved, I would hazard a guess that the shot came from over there. It was a clean shot, not angled.”

“He was on foot. Not shooting from a window. The shooter was targeting the Lance Corporal and possibly ambushed him. A robber would have shot from a closer range. Care to guess at a time of death?”

“It’s been a few hours. It would have been dark out when he was shot. It was probably between midnight and one in the morning.”

“Thanks, Ducky.”

Walking slowly, Tim and Tony kept their eyes to the ground.

“All I see is white,” Tim complained.

“There are a lot of footprints,” Tony said. “People probably bringing out trash or taking a dog for a walk, plus the LEOs looking around. It’s like Grand Central Station back here.”

Stopping a few feet away, Tim squatted to get a better look at some prints. “I hope Gibbs and Bishop are having better luck. This is impossible.”

“Keep looking. I’m going to see what’s further down this way.”

Tim sighed, and then returned to where the body was. He had marked the approximate angle, and followed it a few feet. “Hey Tony, our shooter may have been waiting here behind this dumpster.”

“Find that casing and I’ll believe you.”

“Yeah, right,” Tim muttered to himself as he searched for small bumps in the snow, carefully investigating each one.

Keeping his eyes to the ground, Tony followed the snow-covered prints. But which ones, if any, belonged to the killer? “It started snowing about nine last night,” he muttered to himself. “He had to have left prints. Problem is, they’re snow-covered and can be altered by wind or a bit of melting. They aren’t leading anywhere, as a clue.”

Just then, he heard a tiny mew.

Glancing down the alleyway, he saw Tim squatting down and staring intently at the snow. Then he heard the mew again, and another one harmonizing with it. Tony had wandered beyond the tape-lined confines of the crime scene, and was several yards from Tim. He soon noticed several tiny paw prints in the snow and followed them to the back of an old brick building.

An elderly black man came out of a rear door and looked at him.

Flashing his badge, Tony introduced himself. “Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo, NCIS. Did you hear a gunshot last night around midnight?”

“Can’t say. There are a lot of noises around here all the time,” said the man as he placed a small bowl of milk onto the ground. Within seconds five kittens and a mama cat surrounded the bowl, lapping up the white liquid.

“Cute cats.”

“They’re not mine. Just strays. My landlord won’t let me bring them inside, so I fixed up a box over there with a blanket for them. I wish I could do more.”

“You gave them milk.”

“I give mama cat a little chicken now and then. It’s not much, but some weeks it’s tough to get all the bills paid. Do yourself a favor, young man. Never get old. It stinks to live on a fixed income. The gas bill will be high this month. I can’t spare much for these guys.”

“How old are the little ones?”

“I can’t remember exactly. About four or five weeks.”

“Can’t you take them to a shelter?”

“I don’t have a car and there aren’t any shelters close by. They’d probably just kill them anyway. How can someone kill God’s creatures? They have to be here for a reason. Right?”

“I’m sure they are. And they’re so adorably cute.”

“Yeah, they are that. They better learn to catch mice and rats fast if they want to survive though. I worry about them being out here in the cold as young as they are.”

“So, back to the gun shots. You said there are noises out here all the time. Would that be noises like gunfire?”

“Sometimes. It’s not the best neighborhood, if you know what I mean.”

“Issues with drugs and prostitutes?”

“I suppose. I hear noises. Sometimes people bumping into dumpsters. Sometimes it could be gunfire.”

“But you didn’t hear or see anyone out here last night?”

“People are out here sometimes. Too often to keep track.” The man finally noticed the police tape. “Oh no. Someone got shot out here? Is that why you’re asking?”

“Yes, sir. A young Marine was killed here last night. Any idea what he might have been doing back here?”

“Can’t say. But if I hear anything, I can let you know.”

“Do you keep up on the neighborhood gossip?”

The man smiled. “There are a lot of older ladies in the neighborhood. More women than men. It makes me popular.”

“And women like to gossip.”

“Most of them. I’ll ask around, officer.”

“Agent,” Tony reminded him. “I’m a special agent with NCIS. Here’s my card. And what is your name?”

“Grover Lewis.”

Tony reached out to shake the man’s hand. “Thank you for talking to me.”

“I don’t suppose you could take mama cat and her brood to a no-kill shelter? You have a car, don’t you?”

“I’m driving our work truck. No cats allowed, I’m afraid.”

Grover nodded his head and walked back to the door.

Tony returned to find Tim trying to brush off the top layer of snow.

“You’re never going to find it,” Tony said with a chuckle.

“Yeah, what about this?” asked Tim as he cleared the snow away from what appeared to be a bullet casing.

*** *** *** 

Two days later, the temperature dropped to bitter cold and Tony returned to the alleyway. He found the box with the five huddled kittens, two tortoiseshells, two orange, and one tiny black kitten.

“Hey, little ones,” he said softly as he squatted down. “Where’s mama?” he asked as he held his hand out for them to sniff.

Grover came out of the back door, looking sad. “She got hit by a car. I don’t know how these little ones will survive without her. I bought some kitten chow and they seem to be taking to it pretty well, but I can’t afford to feed five cats. Even these little ones.”

As he stood up, Tony pulled two cans of Chicken of the Sea tuna from his pockets. “I found these in my pantry, left over from a previous health kick. I’m not really a fan of tuna and thought mama cat might enjoy it.”

Grover smiled slightly. “I’m sure she would have. It was a nice thought. Did you change your mind about taking these guys somewhere for me? I worry about them. A lot. They have no chance surviving out here in the cold without their mama to teach them how to hunt.”

Tony eyed the five little fuzzy creatures nuzzling and rubbing against his slacks as they mewed incessantly. “I am off duty. I suppose I could get them out of the cold.”

Grover reached out to shake Tony’s hand. “Thank you, sir. Thank you! And I hope you have a very Merry Christmas. You’ve just made a great change in the lives of these kittens. It’s just too cold out here for these little ones. They deserve a place inside where they can get warm.”

Tony nodded his head. The tiny creatures were precious and he couldn’t say no to helping them. Offering the cans of tuna to Grover, he asked, “Can you take these off my hands? I mean, if another stray comes around you could feed it to them.”

Grover hesitantly reached for the cans. 

Opening his wallet, Tony withdrew three twenty dollar bills. “Look, I don’t mean to be insulting or anything, but I know you said you’re on a fixed income and have been helping out these cats. I would be honored if you would accept this as a gift. If not for yourself, then to help the next set of strays. Please?”

Smiling, Grover reached for the cash. “Thank you, sir. You’re very generous. Very, very generous.”

“Merry Christmas.”

After stuffing the bills into his pocket, Grover grabbed the kittens and placed them into their box, then handed it over to Tony. “Poor box wasn’t going to hold up much longer. Not after the snow melts and gets it wet. It’s still okay for now, I think.”

Looking down, Tony noticed the box had been set up on a few bricks to keep it off the ground. “I’ll make sure they go to a good home. Or a no-kill shelter.”

“Bless you. You’re a kind man, officer.”

“Agent,” Tony reminded him again.

“Yes.” Stepping closer, Grover lowered his voice. “I did hear a thing or two. Your Marine may have been shot by a drug dealer.”

“Do you have a name?”

“No, but I think he lives in that building at the end of the block. If you watch it for a couple of days, he should be easy to spot. I don’t know him.”

“Did you hear a story? Did the Marine refuse to pay?”

“What I heard was, the Marine’s brother owed money to the dealer and was threatened. The Marine was trying to get his brother off the drugs. The dealer didn’t like him meddling.”

Tony slowly nodded his head. “The Marine didn’t do drugs, so the dealer thought we wouldn’t make the connection.”

“I don’t know about all that. I just hear a few things now and then.” One of the kittens began trying to climb out of the box, and Grover gently pushed it back down and rubbed its chin. “The tortoiseshells are both female. The orange ones are males. I never could figure out what the little runt is. Hard to tell with all that black fur.”

“Well, I’m sure it will find a good home no matter what it is.”

*** *** *** 

Tony shoved the box into his passenger seat, then used his cell phone to locate the nearest pet shop. Glancing at the kittens, he asked, “You guys do know what a litter pan is, right?”

At the pet store, Tony purchased two litter pans, litter, a scoop, kitten chow, toys and bowls for food and water.

He settled his purchases into the trunk and climbed back into the driver’s seat to find only three kittens in the box. A quick search of the car revealed the missing kittens had crawled underneath the car seat.

“No hiding. Okay? And you all have to use the litter box.”

Forty-two minutes later, he arrived home. Not wanting to take any chances, he took the box of kittens up to his apartment first, settling them into the bathroom and closing the door. Quickly descending the stairs, he reached the lot in less than a minute and retrieved his pet store purchases. 

Back in the apartment, he washed and dried the bowls and filled three with water and put a handful of kitten chow in each of the three remaining bowls. One of the store’s employees had suggested that one bowl of each wouldn’t be enough for five kittens, especially as they grew bigger. Tony rolled his eyes at the thought of having five full-grown cats in his apartment.

“Not going to happen,” he muttered to himself.

Pushing open the bathroom door revealed one kitten in the box, one in the sink, two in the tub and one on the floor outside the box. The open door was too much of a temptation and two of the kittens scampered past him, into the other room.

“So much for keeping you little Tasmanian devils contained.”

Tony picked up the remaining kittens and carried them into the kitchen to introduce them to the food, water and litter pans.

By the time he turned around to search for the other two, he saw that they had found Kate. One kitten was staring into the bowl, completely mesmerized by the graceful goldfish. The other kitten was dipping its paw in the water, attempting to grab Kate out of her dwelling.

Tony rushed across the room. “No, no, no! That’s Kate. You guys need to leave her alone.” 

After setting those two kittens down in the kitchen, he returned to stare at his goldfish. “Sorry, Kate. I didn’t even think about them trying their paws at fishing.”

Tony moved the fishbowl to a higher shelf. Minutes later, he got the idea to cover the top with saran wrap and foil, then punched a few small holes in each. “Not sure if you need air, but just in case.”

Learning to live with five kittens was an adjustment. He shooed them away from the front door, declaring the marble landing off limits to kittens. He wanted to prevent them from running for the doorway, the hallway and freedom every time the door was opened. 

The kittens enjoyed romping through his apartment, occasionally knocking things to the floor. They enjoyed chasing after the catnip-infused toys Tony had bought for them. They especially loved chasing the balls around and skidding on the hardwood floors as they tried to stop and turn. Tony often laughed at their antics.

*** *** *** 

Over the next two weeks, the team staked out the house Grover had pointed out to Tony. It wasn’t long until they had enough evidence for a search warrant. Abby was able to prove that one of three guns the drug dealer possessed was the murder weapon. Gibbs pushed the Lance Corporal’s brother to honor Shaun by going to rehab and getting off the drugs.

“He gave his life to save you,” Gibbs had told the teen. “Don’t let that be a mistake. Do right by your brother and honor his memory. He valued you and your life and was willing to sacrifice his own for you.”

“Why did he do that?” the teen asked tearfully.

“Maybe he had a few things figured out, and he thought you deserved a chance to figure things out for yourself.”

A few nights after they closed the case, there was a knock at Tony's door. He rose from the couch to answer it, barely cracking the door. Gibbs was on the other side.

“Hi, Boss. Do we have a case?”

“No. I was wondering why you hadn’t come over to the house for a while, especially since we wrapped up the Endicott case.”

“Busy. So much to do. You know how it is, getting so close to the holidays.”

Just then a few random piano notes sounded across the room.

Gibbs craned his head, trying to see past Tony through the narrow crack. “Do you have company?”

“What? No! Of course not.”

More notes drifted through the room.

“If you want to date other people, that’s fine. Just fucking be honest with me,” Gibbs growled.

Tony took a deep breath of air and exhaled slowly as he stared into Gibbs’ blue eyes. “That’s not it. I have some new housemates. Temporarily. But they can’t be trusted alone too much,” he said as he opened the door wide enough for Gibbs to enter the apartment.

Gibbs’ eyes were immediately drawn to the tiny black kitten trouncing around the keys of the piano. Two of the kittens were wrestling in front of the sofa and the other two were chasing a ball around the room, but paused to look up at the newcomer.

“Tony? You have kittens.”

“I know, Boss.”

“Where did they come from?”

“That alleyway where Lance Corporal Endicott was shot. Tim was looking for the casing and I was following some footprints. I came across all these little paw prints in the snow. That’s when I ran into my witness, Grover Lewis. He’s the one who gave us the tip on the drug dealer.”

“These kittens are strays?”

“Yeah. Grover was trying to feed them, but he doesn’t have much money. He doesn’t have a car. He begged me to take them to a shelter, especially after the mama cat was hit by a car and died.”

“Then why are they here?” Gibbs asked, as he leaned over to pick up one of the girl kittens.

“Shelters are full. They said to come back after Christmas and they should have some openings. They said the kittens would be too young to adopt out now and would need vet visits, shots and to be neutered.”

“That’s why you were late on Tuesday?”

Tony nodded his head. “I asked if there was anything I could do to help. They put me in touch with a vet who agreed to donate the services. They said the kittens really needed their shots so they don’t get sick. And as long as we had them in there, the vet offered to neuter them.”

“What did you name them?”

“Come on, Boss. Why would I name them? I’d only get attached.”

Gibbs grinned and stared Tony down. “I know you too well.”

“Okay, so I was going to go for actors. And I was thinking _Cagney_. I said the name _Cagney_ and that one came running over. So she’s Cagney. Then it only made sense to name the other female Lacey. Those orange ones are boys, so I named them Starsky and Hutch.” As Tony plucked the tiny black one off of the piano keys, he said, “And this one is Binx.”

“Binx?”

“It sits like a tiny black sphynx. So, I thought, Binx was sort of short for black sphynx.”

Reaching over, Gibbs, gently scratched the kitten’s head, then rubbed underneath its chin. “It?”

“The old man in the alley told me that Cagney and Lacey are girls, and Starsky and Hutch are males. But this one, he said he couldn’t tell.”

Gibbs gently took the kitten and turned it over. “Male.”

“Oh, good,” said Tony. “Little girls are such a pain.”

“So are the boys,” he said as he returned the kitten. Gibbs stroked Tony’s hair and smiled as Tony leaned into the touch.

“I worry about them. Look how happy they are, romping and playing together. Can you see them all separated and stuck inside little wire cages? It’s like kitty jail. They’ve committed no crime. Unless being adorably cute is a crime.” While cuddling Binx close, Tony kissed his tiny head.

With an arm around Tony’s shoulder, Gibbs tugged him close and kissed his temple. “I may know someone looking for some cats.”

“Really?”

“I’ll make a call. And if they’re too much for you to have in the apartment, I can keep them at the house for a while.”

Tony rubbed his cheek against Binx’s dark fur. “I’m sort of used to having them around.”

“Don’t get too used to it, Skippy. It only makes it tougher to give them up. Unless you want to have five cats in your apartment for the next fifteen years or so.”

*** *** *** 

A week later, it was Christmas Eve. Gibbs had the team come into work in the morning to wrap up reports, then released the them.

Hours later, he and Tony were driving to his rustic cabin, with the box of kittens on the seat between them. Halfway there, Tony picked up the black kitten, held him, and gently stroked the soft fur. 

Gibbs grinned. “Looks very soothing.”

“I’m sure being a lap cat beats being an alley cat.”

“For you. It looks like the cats relax you.”

Tony sighed. “I can’t keep them. It’s obvious that I can’t keep five cats in my apartment. I’m just glad you found a place where they can grow up together. Thank you. It means a lot to me.”

“I know. And you can visit them when we’re at the cabin.”

Gibbs pulled the truck over about a mile before the cabin. The mailbox read _Miller_. An old house was a few yards away, visible from the road. Tony picked up the box of kittens and followed Gibbs around the gravel driveway toward the barn.

“It’s a farm. Nice one, Boss. Plenty of room.”

They entered the barn and found a middle-aged man tinkering with a tractor.

“Hi, Bob,” Gibbs said, offering his hand.

“Gibbs,” the man acknowledged with a Scottish accent, with a nod of his head. His eyes glanced at Tony, then fell to the box he carried. “Oh, look at the wee ones. How precious are they? Maggie is going to fall in love. Let’s introduce them to Ladybird. No time like the present.”

Tony and Gibbs trailed behind Bob. They followed the farmer into an office in a corner of the barn. 

“I see you have a cat door installed,” Gibbs noted, inspecting the work.

Bob smiled proudly. “Yeah. The wife insists on us having a heated room out here. She’s always been partial to cats and wanted them to have a safe, warm place to hang out.”

“How many cats do you have?” Tony asked.

“Just Ladybird now. We had a few, but they got old and died. We just lost Bailey two months ago, and Cocoa over the summer.”

“Sorry for your loss,” said Tony.

“They were fifteen. It was just their time. You can put the box down, son.”

Tony nodded and reluctantly set the box onto the floor. 

Bob sat at a chair next to his desk and watched as the kittens scrambled out of the cardboard enclosure. “Kittens are a lot of fun.”

“Until they grow up to be cats,” said Gibbs.

A gray cat resting on the top of a cabinet perked up from her nap and eyed the newcomers. She viewed the kittens with interest and sniffed the air.

The farmer smiled at the cat, watching as she yawned and stretched. “Go on, Ladybird. You’re going to have to teach them how to hunt.”

Tony watched as the older cat jump down and closed in on the kittens. “Mice?”

“They’ll be working cats here, but we’ll take good care of them.” Pointing out two baseboard heaters, and a wood-burning stove, he said, “We always have heat out here if it’s cold. I’m out here every day of the year.”

“And they can come and go as they please?” asked Tony, relieved when Ladybird began giving Lacey a tongue bath.

“Yeah. I have horses and cows. The feed brings in the mice. The cats can have all the mice they want, but I feed them, too.”

Getting up, Bob walked across the room to a cabinet and showed them the bag of cat food.

“I brought some bowls if you want them.”

“We have plenty, but thanks for the offer.”

Bending down, Tony gave the kittens each a final head rub. “I’m going to miss you guys.”

“What do you call them?” asked Bob.

Smiling, Tony pointed them out. “That’s Cagney and Lacey, they’re both girls. And the boys are Starsky, Hutch and Binx.”

“Excellent.”

The door opened and Maggie stepped inside. “Oh, aren’t they darling!”

Gibbs stepped toward the door. “Bob, Maggie, thanks for taking them on. I appreciate it.”

“Not at all, Jethro, thank you for bringing them to us,” said Maggie. “Ladybird is the last of her litter and she’s getting up there in years. It looks like she’s going to enjoy playing mama to the kittens.”

They all watched as she gave tongue baths to Binx and Hutch.

“We better get out of here,” said Gibbs. “I have to get a fire going so we don’t freeze tonight.”

*** *** *** 

Tony sneezed twice before they made it to the cabin.

Gibbs turned to him. “Are you coming down with something?”

“I don’t know. I am feeling kind of drained, but with the weather, the case, the kittens, it’s all rather…”

“Draining?”

“Absolutely exhausting! “

The sun was just beginning to fade when they reached the cabin. The pair gathered their belongings and entered the small wooden building.

“Nice Christmas tree,” Tony said, always amazed that Gibbs continued to surprise him. “When did you have time to set that up?”

“The Millers did it. Maggie loves to decorate. Have a seat. I’ll get a fire going,” offered Gibbs.

“I can help carry wood in, if you want me, too.”

Gibbs pulled Tony into a hug and kissed him. “We have plenty of firewood inside.”

Tony’s teeth chattered as he shivered. “Then light a match, please.”

It took a few minutes for Gibbs to set up the logs and light the fire. He immediately held his hands out to warm them in front of the flickering flames. “Nothing like a wood fire to heat up a cabin.”

“I don’t know. I like snuggling up against you. Much more fun,” he teased. “Especially when we’re naked and under the covers.”

“We can do that when you’re feeling better.”

Tony stuck out his lower lip in a mock pout.

Ignoring him, Gibbs made himself a pot of strong, dark coffee and a pot of hot tea for Tony. It was a special blend Ducky had given him, with the promise that it could cure almost anything. “Drink,” he ordered.

There were plenty of thick blankets in the cabin, and Tony had wrapped one around himself as he huddled on the couch. “I hate being sick. Nothing worse than feeling like crap for Christmas.”

Gibbs sat beside Tony and placed an arm around his shoulders, holding him close. “You need to get some sleep tonight. Maybe you’ll feel better in the morning.”

With a heavy sigh, Tony rested his head against Gibbs and fell asleep.

*** *** *** 

When Tony awoke he found himself alone in the cabin. Gibbs had left him some more tea warming near the fire. Beside an empty mug, he had set a bottle of honey and another of whisky. “You would have been a great doctor in the 1800s, Gibbs,” Tony said with a laugh.

Several minutes went by and Gibbs still did not reappear. Groaning, Tony got dressed and pulled on his boots. There was a chill in the air as he stood on the porch. Gibbs wasn’t at the woodpile. The truck was still where they’d parked it last night.

Tony cupped his hands and yelled, “Gibbs?” until he started to get hoarse. There was no answer.

Walking around the back of the cabin, Tony checked the outhouse, peering down the dark hole. “Gibbs? Where the hell are you?”

Shivering, Tony nearly ran back to the cabin and stepped inside. He left his boots by the door, where the melting snow would be absorbed by a mat. 

Grabbing a blanket, he snuggled on the worn couch. The fire was still lit, but had been burning for quite a while. It was more a pile of glowing embers than fire at this point. Tony coughed, and sniffled, then blew his nose into a Kleenex. He stared at the Christmas tree. 

Just then Gibbs opened the door, stomping his feet to knock the snow from his boots. He hung his coat on the rack by the door, and dropped his red USMC hoodie onto a chair. Stopping by the fireplace, he added two more logs and watched as the flames emerged from the embers, and wrapped around the pieces of wood.

“Where did you go?” Tony asked.

“I went to wish the Millers a Merry Christmas.”

“How are the kittens?”

“Bob is teaching them to take milk from a cow. They’re so curious that they follow him around and watch what he does. The man has got great aim with a cow’s teat.”

“Sounds like fun.”

“We’re invited to Christmas dinner. You can see it then. Some of the kittens took quite a milk bath. Then Ladybird cleaned them up.”

Tony sighed and closed his eyes. “Wish I was there.”

Gibbs sat beside him on the couch and held his hands. “How are you feeling?”

“I don’t know. I guess I’m still a little tired. I hate being sick.”

“You sound sad.”

“I didn’t think I’d miss the little furballs so much.”

“It’s Christmas. Merry Christmas, Tony.” Leaning forward, Gibbs kissed the tip of Tony’s nose. “Do you have a Christmas wish?’

Tony nodded slowly. “Maybe. A little one.”

“Does this wish include a little black kitten?”

“How did you know?”

“You made your sad eyes when you had to leave him behind.”

“It’s silly. How can something so tiny tug at my heart so much?”

Gibbs walked his fingers across Tony’s chest. “Paw prints in the snow. Paw prints across your heart.”

“Very true. Hey, Gibbs?”

“Yeah?”

“What’s up with your hoodie?”

Gibbs glanced across the room and shrugged. “What about it?”

“It moved!”

Lifting his hand, Gibbs felt Tony’s forehead. “Just how sick are you.”

Tony batted his hand away. “It moved again. That’s freaky.”

Walking across the room, Gibbs retrieved the hoodie, and handed it to Tony. “It’s just a sweatshirt.”

Just then a tiny mew sounded. The hoodie moved again. Tony felt around until he found Binx enveloped in the hood. The kitten looked up at him. Tony had to use a Kleenex to dab the tears from his eyes.

“Feel better now?” Gibbs asked.

Tony sniffled and cuddled Binx to his chest. “Yeah. I know it’s only been a few hours, but I already missed this little guy.”

“He sure does have a way with your piano.”

“That he does,” Tony agreed. As he rubbed the kitten’s head, Binx purred and made himself comfortable, cuddled against Tony’s chest.

“I talked to Bob and Maggie. They want you to keep Binx. The others are plenty.”

“Do you think I should keep him?”

“Yeah. He makes you happy. If you don’t want him at the apartment, you can keep him at my place.”

Tony grinned. “That means I may have to visit you more.”

“We’ve been together a while now. Maybe it’s time you move in with me. Maybe it’s time we make it a permanent thing. I think we can even find a place for your piano.”

“I don’t know what to say. Thank you, Jethro. This may be the best Christmas ever.” 

“Merry Christmas, Tony.”

**Author's Note:**

> Where the name Binx really came from:  
> Thackery Binx was the name of a boy-turned-cat in the movie _Hocus Pocus_. Teenage Thackery Binx was played by Sean Murray (who now plays Tim McGee on NCIS).


End file.
